Pop Culture Movies and More: M.A.S.K. (TV Series 1985-1986)

Multimillionaire Matt Trakker uncovers an international criminal organization known as V.E.N.O.M. (Vicious Evil Network of Mayhem) Trakker gathers a group of friends who, like himself, possess extraordinary talents and creates the military organization known as M.A.S.K. (Mobile Armoured Strike Kommand) Their objective; to destroy V.E.N.O.M. and its mastermind, Miles Mayhem. If I had to pick one of my favourite Saturday morning cartoons of the 1980s, this one would come very close to the top of that list. From the moment I started the program, I was instantly captivated and would be eager to check out the next episode. Naturally, with these styles of shows back during the 80s, one of the main reasons they existed was to market toys to children with a series to match, enticing kids to buy the real-life counterparts of these characters/vehicles. Unlike most of the other shows, I found this one very different. Whilst it of course centres around a toy line that was released before the program, I felt like I was watching a show devoid of marketing a product and more in favour of giving viewers quality content, as if the toys were an afterthought. I don't know if it is just me that feels this way, but I thought this series did a fantastic job creating characters, rich stories and adventures that just feel like a great deal of care went into its making. It didn't feel cheap and if anything, it had some of the most gorgeous and spectacular-looking animations I had ever seen with some episodes standing out tremendously in that department. Alongside, the animation, one other notable aspect of this show springs to mind, and anyone who has watched this will know instantly that I, of course, mean the intro. It is truly something to behold. How is it possible to make such a catchy and phenomenal song that no matter how many times you hear it, you have to sing it through to the end. The intro never changes for the entirety of the show's run and frankly, it didn't need to as it was simply perfect. The show centres around two factions. The heroic M.A.S.K. and the villainous V.E.N.O.M., each have a fleet of hidden function vehicles and superpowered helmets that they use in their causes. M.A.S.K. is led by Matt Trakker, who is aided by members: Hondo MacLean, Dusty Hayes, Bruce Sato, Alex Sector, Brad Turner, Gloria Baker, his son Scott Trakker and his comedic robot sidekick T-Bob. V.E.N.O.M. is commanded by Miles Mayhem, who is accompanied by Cliff Dagger, Sly Rax, Vanessa Warfield, Nash Gorey and Bruno Shepherd. Our heroes would constantly come across the villains in a situation of a heinous crime, mercenary work or holding countries ransom and would quickly put a stop to it. One of the most iconic moments of the series is when the agents are called upon and must stop whatever they are doing to rush off in some hilarious scenes. Along the way, Matt's son Scott and his robot companion T-Bob would get involved, getting into sticky situations, and needing rescuing whilst also, at times, helping win the fight. They would occasionally tread the line of being annoying, but ultimately, I loved their inclusion due to some very funny interactions and sequences. They would also offer good life lessons for children at the end of every episode with important messages like "Don't cross the road without looking" and that sort of thing, which was a nice addition to teach kids life lessons. As the series continued more characters were introduced, especially during the second season, which was one of the worst aspects of the show. It scrapped everything good previously mentioned and made the whole show about racing for some reason and removed characters, interesting plots and brought many inconsistencies. Worst of all, it felt like a blatant toy commercial, unlike the first seasons that produced enjoyable content as well as the toys. Overall, I adored M.A.S.K. and was so enthralled by its many cool characters, superpowered Mask abilities, morphing vehicles and explosive action matched with exciting adventures. It is easily some of the very best of what 1980s cartoons had to offer and is an exceptional piece of entertainment.